A Global Call for Concrete Action for the Elimination of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance and the Comprehensive Implementation of and Follow-Up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

A/RES/76/226View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 72b Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, published in 2022.

What other versions does this mandate have?

5 versions · 2022–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/80/193

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2025	A/RES/80/193	A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action	6,045	58%Compare
2024	A/RES/79/161	A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action	5,026	62%Compare
2023	A/RES/78/234	A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action	4,798	89%Compare
2023	A/RES/77/205	A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action	4,545	79%Compare
2022	A/RES/76/226	A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action	4,091	–

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

5 reports · 2022–2026

Year	Symbol	Title	Mandate resolution
2026	A/81/337	A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action report	A/RES/80/193
2025	A/80/324	A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action report	A/RES/79/161
2024	A/79/361	A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action report	A/RES/78/234
2023	A/78/197	A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action report	A/RES/77/205
2022	A/77/294	A global call for action for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action report of the Secretary-General	A/RES/76/226

What subjects does this mandate have?

9 subjects

Anniversaries Anti-Discrimination Measures Information Dissemination People of African Descent Programme Implementation Programmes of Action Racial Discrimination Trust Funds Xenophobia

What’s in this document?

47 operative paragraphs

I.International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

Reaffirms the paramount importance of universal adherence to and the full and effective implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,⁵ adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 2106 A (XX) of 21 December 1965, in addressing the scourges of racism and racial discrimination;

⁵United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 660, No. 9464.

Calls upon States that have not done so to accede to and/or ratify the Convention, and States parties to consider making the declaration under article 14 of the Convention, as well as to consider withdrawing reservations to article 4 of the Convention, as a matter of urgency, and to consider withdrawing reservations that are incompatible with the object and purpose of the Convention;

Underlines, in the above context, that the provisions of the Convention do not respond effectively to contemporary manifestations of racial discrimination, in particular in relation to xenophobia and related intolerance, which is recognized as the rationale behind the convening of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in 2001;

Takes note of the acknowledgement by the Human Rights Council and its subsidiary structures of the existence of both procedural and substantive gaps in the Convention, which must be filled as a matter of urgency, necessity and priority;

Expresses its concern at the lack of progress in the elaboration of complementary standards to the Convention to fill existing gaps through the development of new normative standards aimed at combating all forms of contemporary and resurgent scourges of racism;

Recalls Human Rights Council resolution 34/36 of 24 March 2017,⁶ in which the Council requested the Chair-Rapporteur of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to ensure the commencement of the negotiations on the draft additional protocol to the Convention criminalizing acts of a racist and xenophobic nature during the tenth session of the Ad Hoc Committee;

⁶See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-second Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/72/53), chap. IV, sect. A.

Requests the Chair-Rapporteur of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to present a progress report to the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session;

II.International Decade for People of African Descent

Recalls the proclamation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, as contained in its resolution 68/237 of 23 December 2013, and the celebratory launch of the Decade on 10 December 2014;

Also recalls the programme of activities for the International Decade for People of African Descent, in which it was recommended that a forum on people of African descent be established and that consideration be given to the elaboration of a draft United Nations declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent;

Requests the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action to devote at least half of its annual session to the elaboration of a draft United Nations declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent;

Invites the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent and the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, in accordance with their respective mandates, to contribute to the elaboration of a draft United Nations declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent;

Recalls the draft programme of action for the International Decade for People of African Descent as an instructive framework in which all the initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of people of African descent are anchored and which, if adopted, would contribute to the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent;

Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent⁷ and on a global call for concrete action for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;⁸

⁷A/76/322.

⁸A/75/561.

Acknowledges and profoundly regrets the untold suffering and evils inflicted on millions of men and women and children as a result of slavery, the slave trade, the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism, apartheid, genocide and past tragedies, noting that some States have taken the initiative to apologize and have paid reparations, where appropriate, for grave and massive violations committed, further calls upon those that have not yet expressed remorse or presented apologies to find some way to contribute to the restoration of the dignity of victims, and calls upon all the relevant States that have not already done so to dispense reparatory justice, contributing to the development and recognition of the dignity of the affected States and their people;

Takes note of the report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent,⁹ invites the Human Rights Council, through the Chair of the Working Group, to continue to submit a report on the work of the Working Group to the General Assembly, and in this regard invites the Chair of the Working Group to engage in an interactive dialogue with the Assembly under the item entitled “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” at its seventy-seventh session;

⁹A/76/302.

Takes note with appreciation of the proclamation of 31 August as the International Day for People of African Descent;

Welcomes the establishment of the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent as a consultation mechanism for people of African descent and other relevant stakeholders as a platform for improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent, as well as an advisory body to the Human Rights Council, and to contribute to elaborating a draft United Nations declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent, and requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to strengthen the substantive support to the Forum in order to fulfil its mandate;

Stresses that everyone, including people and communities of African descent, should be able to participate in an inclusive manner and guide the design and implementation of processes that contribute to halting, reversing and repairing the lasting consequences and ongoing manifestations of systemic racism, and notably acknowledges the important role that young people have played and should continue to play in these processes;

Encourages States to examine the extent and impact of systemic racism and to adopt effective legal, policy and institutional measures that address racism beyond a summation of individualized acts, and recommends that progress be measured according to indicators grounded in impact rather than intent;

Welcomes the establishment of an international independent expert mechanism, comprising three experts with law enforcement and human rights expertise, aimed at furthering transformative change for racial justice and equality in the context of law enforcement globally, especially where relating to the legacies of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade in enslaved Africans, to investigate the responses of Governments to peaceful anti-racism protests and all violations of international human rights law and to contribute to accountability and redress for victims;

Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Department of Global Communications of the Secretariat to continue awareness-raising efforts and public information campaigns in support of the International Decade for People of African Descent through the use of social networks and digital media, including the wide distribution of user-friendly, concise and accessible versions of material in this regard;

III.Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Requests the Secretary-General and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the resources necessary for the effective fulfilment of the mandates of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards and the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent, and in this regard to ensure the participation of experts in each session of those follow-up mechanisms in order to provide advice on the specific issues under discussion and assist the mechanisms in their deliberations and the adoption of action-oriented recommendations in relation to the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action;

Recalls Human Rights Council resolutions 43/1 and 47/21, and welcomes the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers and the annex thereto, entitled “Four-point Agenda towards Transformative Change for Racial Justice and Equality”, submitted pursuant to resolution 43/1;¹⁰

¹⁰A/HRC/47/53.

Stresses the importance of consolidating all efforts aimed at combating racism under a single anti-racial discrimination unit, including on the issues of racial equality and justice;

IV.Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

Recalls the report of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action on its sixth session,¹¹ and in this regard notes that the session, which included private and public sessions, was held in Geneva from 6 to 10 May 2019;

¹¹See A/74/173.

V.Trust fund for the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination

Recalls the establishment by the Secretary-General, in 1973, of the trust fund for the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination as a funding mechanism that has been utilized for the implementation of the activities of the three Decades for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination declared by the General Assembly, and in this regard appreciates the fact that the trust fund has also been utilized for the subsequent programmes and operational activities transcending the three Decades;

Requests the Secretary-General to include, in his report on the implementation of the present resolution to the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session, a section outlining the progress in the implementation of paragraph 18 of its resolution 68/151 of 18 December 2013 regarding the revitalization of the trust fund for the purpose of ensuring the successful implementation of the activities of the International Decade for People of African Descent and enhancing the effectiveness of the comprehensive follow-up to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance and the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;

Strongly appeals to all Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and individuals, as well as other donors in a position to do so, to contribute generously to the trust fund, and to that end requests the Secretary-General to continue to undertake appropriate contacts and initiatives to encourage contributions;

VI.Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

Takes note of the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance,¹² and encourages the Special Rapporteur, within her mandate, to continue to focus on the issues of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and incitement to hatred, which impede peaceful coexistence and harmony within societies, and to submit reports in this regard to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly;

¹²A/76/369.

Reiterates its previous requests to the Special Rapporteur to consider examining national models of mechanisms that measure racial equality and their value added in the eradication of racial discrimination and to report on such challenges, successes and best practices in her next report, and expresses concern at the lack of progress in this regard;

VII.Commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action

Welcomes the convening of a one-day high-level meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action on 22 September 2021, on the theme “Reparations, racial justice and equality for people of African descent”, and the adoption of a political declaration aimed at mobilizing political will at the national, regional and international levels for the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and its follow-up processes;¹³

¹³Political declaration entitled “United against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” (resolution 76/1).

Emphasizes the critical importance of increasing public support for the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the participation of civil society and other relevant stakeholders in its realization;

Invites Member States, United Nations entities, international and regional organizations, civil society, including non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to organize and support various high-visibility initiatives, aimed at effectively increasing awareness at all levels, to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;

Requests the Secretary-General to establish a programme of outreach, with the involvement of Member States and United Nations funds and programmes, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to appropriately commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;

Calls upon Member States and the United Nations system to intensify efforts to widely distribute copies of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, and encourages efforts to ensure its translation and wide dissemination;

Expresses its appreciation for the continuing work of the mechanisms mandated to follow up on the World Conference and the Durban Review Conference;

VIII.Follow-up and implementation activities

Acknowledges the guidance and leadership role of the Human Rights Council, and encourages it to continue to oversee the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the outcome document of the Durban Review Conference;

Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to provide the Human Rights Council with all the support necessary for it to achieve its objectives in this regard;

Requests the Human Rights Council to consider, at its fifty-first session, the question of developing a multi-year programme of activities to provide for the renewed and strengthened outreach activities needed to inform and mobilize the global public in support of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and to strengthen awareness of the contribution that they have made in the struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in consultation with Member States, national human rights institutions, relevant civil society organizations and United Nations agencies, funds and programmes;

Welcomes the efforts undertaken by the Human Rights Council, through its Advisory Committee, in preparing a study on appropriate ways and means of assessing the situation regarding racial equality, while identifying possible gaps and overlaps;

Takes note with appreciation of the special meeting of the Economic and Social Council on the theme “Reimagining equality: eliminating racism, xenophobia and discrimination for all in the decade of action for the Sustainable Development Goals”, held on 18 February 2021;

Welcomes the commemorative plenary meeting of the General Assembly held on 21 March 2021 to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, on “Youth standing up against racism”;

Takes note with appreciation of the commemorative plenary meeting of the General Assembly held on 25 March 2021 to mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade;

Also takes note with appreciation of the commemorative activities from 31 August to 4 September 2021 in San José and Cahuita, Costa Rica, to mark the first-ever International Day for People of African Descent;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session a report on the implementation of the present resolution;

Requests the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Human Rights Council to continue to convene annual commemorative meetings of the Assembly and the Council during the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, with the appropriate focus and themes, and in this context encourages the participation of eminent personalities active in the struggle against racial discrimination, Member States and civil society organizations in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Assembly and the Council, respectively;

Decides to remain seized of this priority matter at its seventy-seventh session under the item entitled “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”.

54th (resumed) plenary meeting

24 December 2021